Lightning-protecting system for oil-tanks.



C H. GUNTHORPE.

LIGHTNING PROTECTING SYSTEM FOR OIL TANKS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-23, I914.

1,175,749. Patented Mar. 14,1916.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE.

CHARLES HENRY GUNTHORIEE, OF BEAUMONT, TEXAS.

To all whom it m-a z concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. GUN- THORPE, a citizen, of the United States, and a resident of Beaumont, in the county of Jefferson and State of Texas, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Lightning-Protecting Systems for Oil- Tanks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a system for protecting oil tanks or allied analogous structures from damage and destruction by lightning.

An object of the present invention is to provide a system by means of which there will be no likelihood nor danger of a spark occurring within an oil tank even should it be struck by lightning.

A further object is to provide a system wherein the various plates which go to make up an oil tank are brought into good electrical connection one with the other and properly grounded.

A further object is to provide a system which may be installed upon oil tanks already in use and at a minimum expense and by means of which allparts of the tanks are in good electrical connection so that substantially no resistance or air gaps will be interposed in the path of a lightning discharge, should it strike any part of the tank, thus eliminating the possibility of a spark occurring within the tank and thus obviating the chances of explosion of the inflammable materials contained therein.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof the preferable form of my invention is illustrated, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an oil tank equipped with my lightning protecting system, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in perspective of a portion of an oil tank illustrating the manner in which the various metallic plates are electrically connected and grounded, Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through one of the tank plates and the connector connected to a conducting circuit and grounded, the connector being also adapted to hold in place the conducting wire which communicates therewith.

Referring to the drawings in which .similar reference characters designate corresponding parts of the several views, the tank illustrated in Fig. 1 is of that type designed to store oil therein and is made up of Specification of Letters Patent.

LIGHTNING-PROTECTING SYSTEM FOR OIL-TANKS.

Patented Mar. 14, 1916.

Application filed September 23, 1914. Serial No. 863,107.

a plurality of metallic segments or plates t which are riveted or suitably joined together in the ordinary way. It has been found in practice and by actual measurements that considerable ohmic resistance may occur between two plates even though they be jointed together in a liquid tight manner. The plates being exposed to the action of the oil within the tank gradually acquire a film or layer between the plates which although aiding the plates in defining a liquid tight receptacle materially hinder a flow of electricity between the plates such as would occur when the tank is struck by lightning. Th1s is the cause of sparks within the tank and the resulting explosion and tank destructlon. In order to do away with this ever present danger of tank destruction I rigidly bond to each and every plate a connector 5, the same being illustrated in Fig. 3 as being secured thereto by the screws 6 which extend, for a limited distance only, into the metal plates and thus maintain a good electrical connection therewith. It is to be understood, however, that the connector may be welded, soldered, or in other ways secured to the plates so as to effect a permanent and highly eilicient connection therewith. The connector in addition to including the elongated base 7 through which the bonding screws 6 extend has the outstanding head 8 provided with the channel 9 extending along its face.

A plurality of encompassing cables 10 extend around the tank and are seated within the channels of the connectors and effect an electrical connection therewith. Thus the plates of each horizontal row will be brought into proper electrical connection, and the connecting of the horizontal conductors 10 is effected by the vertical extending conductors 11 which are welded or in other ways properly connected thereto. The vertically extending conductors 11 project over the roof of the tank and meet at a central point 12 thereabove.

The roof plates are electrically connected together in a manner similar to the foregoing and by means of the vertical conductors 11 are brought into proper electrical connection with the plates forming the side walls of the tank. Thus it will be apparent that each and every plate constituting or making up the tank is electrically connected to every fellow plate. The encompassing conductors l0 reinforce and strengthen the tank as well as protect the same against lightning and local electrolysis. H

A pair of aerials or lightning arresters 13 are located upon opposite sides of the tank and are connected to the various tankconductors by means of the bars 14. The aerials are grounded, as at 15, which also appliesto the verticalconductors 11 before mentioned. The roof plates in ordinary tank construc tion are usually nailed upon a woodensupporting structure and are rarely if ever in a good electrical connection with the sides of the tank. The present system not only electrically connects the various roof plates, but brings them into electrical connection with the various side plates and the ground. A good electrical circuit will thus be provided for the lightning regardless of which particular plate is struck and all danger of sparks which would ignite the tank contents dueto a path of high ohmic resistance is a plurality of horizontally extending en- 1 compassing conductors seated within the channels of said connectors and effecting electrical connections therewith, lightning arresters at the sides of the tank and in elec trical connection with the ground and the electrical conductors mounted upon the tank.

CHARLES HENRY GUNTHORPE Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

